As residents on the east coast of the US continue to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, called on parishioners to attend mass and observe All Saints Day.

"We've got so much to pray for," the Catholic leader said in a statement.

"As we mourn our dead, pray for their families, and for those injured, and without homes. We also pray in thanksgiving for the heroic service of so many entrusted with our protection. Praise God that, once again, this community has united in selfless service to those in need."

Speaking about the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy in Breezy Point, Queens, where over 80 homes were destroyed in a blaze, Dolan said: " I love Breezy Point, the Pastor out there is a very close friend."

"Our hearts are broken when you see the loss of life."

The Catholic leader called on people to remember those who are struggling after the storm.

"There are a few things that can happen in a tragedy," Cardinal Dolan warned.

"We can become selfish, we can become violent, we can be every person for themselves or we can pitch in, in solidarity and community to help one another and rescue one another."

The Cardinal plans to visit Staten Island and homeless shelters across the city over the coming days to speak to this who have been affected.

Either scripts and active content are not permitted to run or Adobe Flash Player version10.0.0 or greater is not installed.